Activity tied to reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's

Everyday chores, not just exercise, touted in study

by Janice Lloyd - Apr. 20, 2012 07:41 PMUSA Today

Cleaning house and doing yardwork are taking on new importance. A higher level of physical activity -- not just exercise -- is linked to a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease even in people over 80, suggests research published Wednesday in the journal Neurology.

Protective activities include washing dishes, cooking, cleaning, gardening -- even playing cards. People who scored in the bottom 10 percent of physical activity were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's. Study participants did not have dementia at the start of the four-year study, part of the ongoing Memory and Aging Project at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

"The implication of this study is really astounding," said physician Aron Buchman, lead author. "Exercise is good, without a doubt, but this study is about more than exercise. Older people who might not be able to exercise can tailor activities that are right for them."

There is no cure or drug to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, which affects about 5 million people in the U.S. Numbers are expected to triple as Baby Boomers get older. Aging is the main risk factor.

During the study, 71 of the 716 study participants developed Alzheimer's. Study authors said this is the first study to use an objective measurement of all physical activity in addition to self- reports. Participants wore an actigraph on their wrists to assess activity levels.

The mean score for participants was 3.3 hours per week. Intensity of exercise also mattered: People in the bottom 10 percent of intensity of physical activity were almost three times as likely to develop Alzheimer's.

The study is the latest evidence that physical activity, even in later years, aids in delaying Alzheimer's. The study did not attempt to measure which activities were most helpful.

"We've known that muscle activity generates neurons in the brain, but this study gives us additional motivation," said physician Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, who was not associated with the study.